Three arrested for targeting senior citizens; Thane Crime Branch solves 12 cases

Thane: The Thane Crime Branch Unit 4, based in Ulhasnagar, arrested three men and solved 12 cases involving fraud and robbery targeting senior citizens across Thane and Mumbai. Police also arrested a jeweller who allegedly helped dispose of the stolen items.During the operation, officials recovered 130 grams of gold jewellery with an estimated market value of Rs 16.99 lakh. The police, however, did not reveal the total cost of the gold or ornaments siphoned.The arrested individuals were identified as Raju Prakash Chavan (48) from Wadala, Ramesh Vijaykumar Jaiswal (49) from Chembur, and Sanjay Dattaram Mangde (53) from Chembur. A fourth accused, Ramsingh Lalsingh Chauhan (45), a jeweller from Wadala who originally hailed from Rajasthan, was also arrested. Chauhan allegedly assisted the gang by receiving and disposing of the stolen ornaments.The gang specialised in robbing senior citizens through distraction and sleight of hand. They approached elderly individuals on public streets under the guise of friendly conversation. By using persuasive speech and deceptive tactics, they convinced their targets to remove their gold chains or rings, only to swap them or flee with the valuables once the victims were distracted.Following a series of such incidents registered between November 2025 and Jan 2026, the Thane Police Commissioner and senior crime branch officials initiated a special drive. The team utilised a combination of technical analysis, CCTV footage, and confidential informant networks to track the suspects.The solved cases spanned a wide geographical area, including 3 incidents in Badlapur, and multiple reports from Ulhasnagar, Mumbra, Naupada, Kalwa, Kopri, Kapurbawdi, and Goregaon in Mumbai.This successful operation was conducted under the leadership of DCP Amarsingh Jadhav and ACP Shekhar Bagade, with the field team headed by senior police inspector Yogesh Awhad. The accused are currently in custody as authorities continue to investigate whether they are linked to other similar crimes in the region.